Six Going On Seven 'Heartbreak's Got Backbeat'

Originally released in 1999 on Some Records, Heartbreak’s Got Backbeat is the second full-length from Boston’s Six Going On Seven, capturing the band at the intersection of ’90s emo, post-hardcore, and melodic indie rock.

Produced by Brian McTernan at Salad Days Studio, the album expands on the foundation of Self-Made Mess with nine tightly constructed songs built around angular guitars, driving rhythms, huge melodic hooks, and Joshua English’s unmistakable vocals. “Portsmouth,” “Southbound,” “How to Sell the Brooklyn Bridge,” “Valentine, They’re Dropping Like Flies,” “New/Improved!,” and “Reverse Midas” capture a band developing a sound that sat comfortably alongside Texas Is the Reason, Elliott, The Promise Ring, Hot Water Music, and The Get Up Kids without ever sounding quite like any of them.

Walter Schreifels of Quicksand, Rival Schools, and Gorilla Biscuits famously described the record as “The Reign in Blood of Emo,” a pretty perfect summary of its concise, relentlessly focused 30 minutes.

After being unavailable on vinyl for more than 25 years, Heartbreak’s Got Backbeat returned through Iodine Recordings, newly remastered by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden and presented with completely new artwork. The first pressing is limited to 300 copies on Half Yellow / Half Red vinyl.

With Six Going On Seven active again and releasing their first new full-length in decades, Human Tears, in 2026, Heartbreak’s Got Backbeat feels less like an obscure artifact and more like an essential missing chapter in the history of Boston emo and post-hardcore.